Johannesburg - Three delegates representing the Midrand municipal workers sacked nearly 23 years ago will on Wednesday afternoon meet with human resources personnel from the Johannesburg municipality to review the official file of their claimed unfair dismissal and failure to pay out pension monies.
The file apparently dates from the time former mayor Amos Masondo agreed that the workers had a case.
Mayor Parks Tau, who succeeded Masondo, reversed this decision and no further action was taken. The file was then left in a cupboard until, following further representations by the workers, it was found after being requested by current mayor Herman Mashaba.
“We are pleased that at last we will be able to draw up - and agree - a comprehensive report that will show why we have campaigned for so long,” said Midrand group convenor, Stena Molepo.
The 280 members of the group, which includes family
representatives of those workers who have died since their controversial
dismissal, were formerly members of the Cosatu-affiliated SA Municipal
Workers’ Union. They have now associated themselves with the SA
Federation of Trade Unions headed by former Cosatu general secretary,
Zwelinzima Vavi, who has approached the council on their behalf.
However, the Midrand group have not allied themselves to any single union, having made a decision to “call for solidarity from all unions”. At their regular Sunday meeting, the workers decided that once their case is resolved it will be up to individual members to make a choice as to which union they wish to join.
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